Breast feeding and vitamin D

[SugaryIris]

My health visitor said if I breastfeed I need vitamin d drops to put on the nipple for the baby? I haven’t heard of these before and neither had my sisters who breastfed so I wondered what other people did?

 

[TTChloexx]

Yes that’s true. It’s basically because we have crap weather here so babies don’t get enough natural vitamin d. It is added to formula so it’s only needed when breastfeeding. There are drops you can buy in the pharmacy but supermarkets do them too.

It’s in the red book somewhere - that’s what my hv told me and she looked a bit shocked when I said I’ve been busy raising a baby so didn’t have time to read the red book back to back

 

[night owl]

My little girl is about to turn one and I haven’t once used these drops to be honest! It wasn’t mentioned to me once by HV, doctor, midwife etc etc and they all know I ebf, so I didn’t think it could be too important x

 

[SugaryIris]

Yeh there seems to be conflicting opinions on whether it is necessary or not.

 

[MoominGirl]

It is a bit conflicting but I got the same advice as Chloe though not until I went to the postnatal group when my boy was about 3 months old. Again they seemed surprised that I hadn't read the red book from cover to cover!

I started using them but I didn't always remember. I didn't use the ones that go on your nipple. I got ones that had a little dropper.

 

[SugaryIris]

I’m in the UK too and I don’t know what the red book is, do you get it after the birth?

 

[MoominGirl]

Yeah you'll get it in the hospital when baby is born. They record all the checks and vaccinations etc in it.

 

[Kitana]

Here in Belgium we have to give vitamin D up until they are 5 years old!
I have a little dropper which I give every morning after she wakes up, lying next to the nappies so I don't forget.
I don't give them to my eldest anymore since she takes multivitamins now instead.
But just like you, we have more rain than sunshine so it's important for bone growth and strength. A certain disease is coming back from the dark ages since children spend more time indoors on their computers, consoles, tablets than outside. I can't remember the name but it started with an R. Rachitis? Not sure.
But I know vitamin D helps prevent it!x

 

[WinterWolf]

@Kitana It causes rickets! Not a nice disease.

 

[SugaryIris]

I didn’t realise there was a rise in cases of rickets, but does make sense the amount kids spend indoors nowadays.

 

[lingtenlou]

I think that it is better to solve such issues with a specialist. As for me, I gave the baby vit D.